Social Level
In the Old World, social level is an important consideration. Everywhere, but especially in cities, people's reactions to your characters will depend as much upon what they are (or appear to be) as upon who they are. Many Old Worlders - no matter how much they may deny it - are snobs and, let's face it, a Beggar or a scruffy adventurer is not going to get into the Graf's garden party, no matter how persuasive his wit or how high his Fel score is! The rules given in this section may be used to modify tests for PC/NPC dealings under most circumstances. In some city-based adventures where it is vital to get on the right side of the right people, social level can make all the difference between failure and success. Class And Standing The society of the Old World is divided into four social classes and every character will have a certain standing (or lack of it!) within his own class. The four social classes are as follows: A: Nobility This is the highest class and, in most nations of the Old World, it is restricted to a number of noble families and a small group of individuals who have been elevated to the nobility for outstanding service to the crown or nation. B: Professional / Academic Class This is the most 'respectable' class of all: the lawyers, doctors, wizards, clerics, merchants, and senior military men all belong to this class. In terms of our own society, this is the upper-middle class. C: Craftsman / Tradesman Class Most of the skilled workers of the Old World belong to this class, as do the lower ranks of the military establishment. These are 'respectable' people, by and large, but definitely not the upper crust. D: Labouring / Criminal Class This is the lowest class of unskilled and semi-skilled workers, beggars, and criminals. While there is great variation within this class (more, arguably than in any other), members of the other classes see it as a single undistinguished mass. The Career Table given here lists the class and standing for all careers. Calculating Social Level A character's Social Level is made up of two components: Class and Standing. Class is represented by a letter and standing by a number. Thus, a character of class B with a standing of 7 would have the code B7 entered in the Social Level space on their character sheet. Social Intercourse A character's social level comes into play whenever they are dealing with one or more NPCs in a non-combat situation. Normally this kind of situation is handled entirely by Fel tests modified by relevant skills, but taking social level into account changes things somewhat. Career Table Basic Careers Advanced Careers Notes (C'') indicates that class and standing may vary according to the character's cult. Refer to the optional section on Cult Modifiers. (''F) indicates that the profession is one which inspires fear, distrust, or distaste in most people. The class rating given is an indication of this. However, the character is treated as being one class higher when dealing with other type F'' characters. Type ''F characters may be able to intimidate others. (L'') indicates that the career is one with various levels. Standing is increased by D4 per level above 1. (''N) Nobles are a special case. There is no upper limit to a noble's standing. Landed nobles have a minimum standing of 10; if the die roll total is less than 10, it is treated as 10. Nobles without land have no minimum standing. Nobles with noble vassals add the highest standing to be found among their vassal(s) to their own standing. For example, Graf Wolfgang has a random standing of 15; among his vassals, Baron Ulfric has the highest standing at 12; Wolfgang's final standing is therefore 27 (15+12). In turn, Wolfgang's overlord could add 27 (at least) to his standing. AS can be seen from this cumulative effect, noblemen near the top of the social ladder need have few worries about their position in society. To save time when calculating standings, you can treat land magnates (such as Electors) as having a standing of 5D4+60; should you ever need to worry about it, the Emperor is assumed to have a standing of 100! In addition, a noble's standing is reduced by D4 points when dealing with anyone of a different nationality. (R'') indicates that the character is treated as being one class lower while in an urban environment, as townsfolk tend to look down on rustic types. (''S) indicates that the character may rise to a higher class through personal achievement or by attaching himself to a prominent patron. For newly generated NPCs and PCs, you may either choose or roll a D6, a roll of 6 indicating that the character is one who automatically gains the higher class; those who move from a lower-class career do not. In other cases, the gamesmaster must judge whether a character should be placed in the upper or lower class. (X'') indicates that the character is treated as being one class higher by members of his own race. Dealing With Other Classes When dealing with a character from another class, only the class itself is taken into account. A nobleman (Class A) won't make any distinction between a Cobbler and a Cooper (who are both C's), for instance. They are both tradesmen and probably a little vulgar to boot. It doesn't matter one jot to him what the two traders may think of their relative position on the social ladder! The reverse is also true. The just see a nobleman walking into their shops. They don't worry about his precise precedence in the scheme of things. Leadership And Fellowship Most tests for interpersonal dealings are made on '''Fel'. This works well, up to a point - after all, Fel represents a character's persuasiveness and force of personality. However, a magistrate or Watch Captain shouldn't have to rely on his natural charm to get a jailer to do what he asks! To reflect this, a character who is dealing with a character of a lower social class may always choose to use Ld instead of Fel if he wishes for relevant tests. This represents the character using the authority of his position rather than any natural charm in handling people and the way in which the exchange is played out ought to reflect this. The Toffs And The Bosses When a character is dealing with a character from a lower social class, the Fel or Ld test is modified. For each class difference, the higher-placed character gains a +10 Ld modifier and a -10 Fel modifier. This reflects the fact that dealings between members of widely separated social classes tend to be more comfortable for both parties if they are conducted formally. When a character opts to use Ld instead of Fel, all relevant skills (e.g., Blather, Charm, Wit) apply equally to both characteristics. A character who finds himself one or more classes down must always use Fel - a Beggar isn't going to impress a Duke with his authority, so he is obliged to fall back on natural charm and a smidgen of native cunning! Even then, the Fel test is modified by -5 for each class difference. For example: Graf Erich von Holgesheim (Class A) is conversing with Max Schumm, the jailer (Class D), on the subject of his friend who is currently in the cells after a particularly successful night on the town. Erich has the choice of using his '''Ld' of 46 or his Fel of 47; in both cases, his Charm and Wit skill will give him +20. Make is three classes below Erich, giving him a further modifier of +30 Ld and -30 Fel. This makes his Ld test 96 and his Fel test 37 - clearly, pulling rank is the right approach here!'' If Max were the PC in this little exchange - say Max let an important prisoner go (or die) and is trying to avoid the worst of Graf Erich's wrath - things would go as follows. Max is forced to use his '''Fel' score of 28, with a -15 penalty for the difference in class. Lacking in Charm and Wit (for which jailers are seldom noted), he falls back on Blather, which gives him the usual +10. This gives him a total of 28-15+10=23. His excuse had better be a good one!'' Equal Footing When dealing with people inside one's own class, one's Standing comes into play. Standing represents the fine distinctions which people make among those of their own class. Note that Standing is defined by a dice roll - not all characters in a certain career will have the same standing. A back-alley cobbler will be lower down the ladder than the shoemaker to the Duke, for instance, even though they share the same trade. When a character deals with another character of the same class, Standing is a bonus modifier to all Fel tests, in addition to the effects of any relevant skills. For example: Hans the pavement artist is trying to persuade Jurgen the Watchman not to arrest him for loitering, vagrancy, and defacing council property (namely, one three-yard stretch of public thoroughfare). Both are lower class (D). Hans has a '''Fel' score of 48, which has served him well in the past, and he is one of the better-known pavement artists in the city, with a standing of 9. He has no relevant skills, so his test is 57 - a better than even chance.'' Changing Careers When characters change careers, their class and standing immediately become those shown for the new career. Socially Mobile Characters Some careers are marked with an S'' on the Careers Table, indicating that they may be associated with a higher class than that shown under certain circumstances. Characters who move to a type ''S career from a higher-class career automatically retain the higher class; those who move from a lower-class career do not. In other cases, the gamesmaster must judge whether a character should be placed in the upper or lower class. Optional Rule: Familiarity A NPC who has known a character before a career change in which their class altered will take this past familiarity into account in their dealings with the character. The NPC rolls a D10 and the result is used as a further modifier to the PC's Fel or Ld test - either positive or negative as a gamesmaster deems appropriate. If a character has made a career change which affected standing but not social class, then NPCs of the same social class who knew the character before the career change roll a D6 and use the result as a modifier in the same way. Chain Of Command These social level rules are not used if a character is in a formal, direct chain of command with the NPC they're dealing with - this applies to a PC Mercenary Captain dealing with an NPC Mercenary under his own command, for example. In such cases, the normal Ld rules apply. Note, however, that the chain of command must be direct - a Mercenary Captain is not in a direct chain of command above another Captain's troopers! Illegal Careers Some careers are overtly criminal - Thief, Fence, Footpad, and Counterfeiter, for instance. In these cases, assume that the character does not publicise their career outside the criminal fraternity. If a character's criminal career is discovered, all tests are made with an additional modifier of up to +/-30. The gamesmaster must decide the precise value of the modifier, according to the NPC's attitude to the law and crime. Thus, for example, a known thief might suffer a -30 modifier when dealing with a magistrate, -10 with a watchman, +10 with a beggar, and +30 with a fellow thief. Bluffs And Disguise Characters may occasionally use skills such as Acting, Disguise, and Mimic in an attempt to make themselves seem to belong to a different social class. Treat this as a Bluff and determine success normally, using the normal rules. Etiquette still gives a +10 bonus to the Bluff test, but only if the character is trying to imitate a noble (Class A) or a professional (Class B). If the Bluff is successful, the character uses the class and standing of the career he is imitating until he decides to let the Bluff drop. At the gamesmaster's option, it might be necessary to repeat the test every day for a long-running deception or every time the character is faced with a new NPC of the social class he is trying to imitate. If the Bluff is unsuccessful, the character suffers a -20 modifier to all further dealings with the NPCs he has unsuccessfully tried to deceive and loses any option to use Ld in place of Fel. The Bravest Of The Brave Standing points can be handed out at the end of an adventure in a similar way as Fate Points. At the gamesmaster's discretion, adventurers can gain D4 Standing points permanently for acts of public bravery or service. Slaughtering a nest of Beastmen or exposing the cruel behaviour of the local squire, for example, are acts that will increase an adventurer's worth in the eyes of the community. Doing this sort of thing without anyone noticing gains PCs no standing at all. Cult Modifiers These modifiers are used when a character from a type C career interacts with another type C character. The use of these modifiers may be extended to include devout but non-priestly followers of a deity. Cult modifiers reflect the attitudes of the two cults to each other and the effect this has on the characters' dealings. The Two Great Families The Old World pantheon consists of two divine families and a few other deities. The first family, sometimes known as 'the town gods' or 'the southern gods', consists of Mórr, Verena, and their daughters, Shallya and Myrmidia. The second, known as 'the country gods' or 'the northern gods' consists of Taal, Rhya, their son, Manann, and Taal's brother, Ulric. Generally speaking, followers of one of these deities are well disposed towards followers of related deities, as well as maintaining a fairly positive attitude towards the other neutral deities of the Old World. Ranald The cult of Ranald occupies a unique position in the Old World, in that it is on both sides of the law at the same time. Displaying the symbol of Ranald or engaging in acts of worship to him are not, in themselves, illegal, but they can sometimes arouse suspicion. Most of the other Old World cults are distrustful of followers of Ranald; the town gods especially so, since towns are where his followers are most active. According to legend, Ranald was born a mortal and gained immortality by tricking the soft-hearted Shallya; her family has never quite forgiven him for this and followers of the town gods are more distrustful than most. Sigmar While Sigmar Heldenhammer is a major deity within The Empire, he is seldom worshipped outside it and then only in enclaves of expatriate Imperial citizens. Within The Empire, most Old World cults are on friendly terms with that of Sigmar; elsewhere, their attitude is more neutral. The Old Faith Relations between the Old Faith and the other Old World cults are friendly, if a little reserved. They do not involve themselves closely with each other, but maintain a respectful distance, which is acceptable to both sides. Kháine The worship of Kháine, Lord of Murder, is illegal throughout the Old World and his followers are regarded with as much distaste as the minions of Chaos. Some Imperial theologians have gone so far as to suggest that, despite indications to the contrary in the myths and legends surrounding the cult of Mórr, Kháine is no more than an aspect or avatar of foul Khorne, the Blood God. Dwarven Deities The Human cults of the Old World are on generally friendly terms with those Dwarven cults which have a presence in the Human lands. Grungni is the most common of these. As with the Old Faith, relations are reserved but basically friendly. Elven Deities Like the Dwarfs, those Elves who have decided to live among Humans have frequently brought their deities with them. The most widespread Elven cult in Human lands is that of Liadriel, who co-exists with its Human neighbors peacefully. The minor Elven cults are certainly less well-known and generally treated with a little more reserve because they are unfamiliar. Halfling Deities The only Halfling cult which appears to be at all widespread in the Old World is that of Esmeralda. Like almost all Halflings, her priests are friendly and open and get on reasonably well with the priesthoods of most Human deities. The racial divide is never completely bridged, but relations are generally friendly. The Powers Of Chaos The worship of Chaos is outlawed on pain of death throughout the Old World and the Chaos Powers and their minions are held in abiding hatred by the cults of the Old World's neutral deities. The Powers Of Law The Powers of Law are regarded with a degree of uncomfortable mistrust by most Old Worlders and the Old World's priesthood is no exception. While there is nothing illegal - and, indeed, much to be praised - about the precepts of the various cults of Law, their extreme philosophy and disdain for others does not often sit well among the essentially neutral people of the Old World. The only Power of Law who is at all well-known in the Old World is Solkan the Avenger, who is a popular patron for Witch-Hunters. The cult of Solkan is feared by many and none of the other cults of the Old World can be said to be cordial towards its devotees. Inter-Cult Hatred The proscribed cults - those of Kháine and the Chaos Powers - are regarded with bitter hatred by the priesthood of the Old World, an attitude which they return. When a character is dealing with another whom he knows to be a follower of a hated cult, tests are modified by -20. If the character is known to be a priest of a hated cult, the modifier rises to -40. Geographical Differences Attitudes may vary slightly from place to place. Here is a summary of important variations: Manann and Handrich increase in popularity by one step in The Wasteland. Sigmar ''increases in popularity by one step in The Empire, except to followers of Ulric, whose attitude becomes ''distrustful. Non-devout Human characters in The Empire favour the cult. Ulric ''increases in popularity by one step in Middenheim, except to followers of Sigmar, whose attitude becomes ''distrustful. In Estalia and Tilea, his popularity decreases by one step; in Norsca, it increases by one step and other Human cults never have less than a neutral attitude. Myrmidia increases in popularity by one step in Tilea and Estalia, except to followers of Ulric. Cult Relations Table This table summarises the relationships between the various cults of the Old World. P (Preferred): +15 to Fel/Ld tests when dealing with members of this cult, +20 when dealing with a member of one's own cult. F (Favourable): +10 to Fel/Ld tests when dealing with members of this cult. R (Reserved): +5 to Fel/Ld tests when dealing with members of this cult. N (Neutral): No modifier. D (Distrustful): -10 to Fel/Ld tests when dealing with members of this cult. Intimidation Some careers are marked with an F'' on the Careers Table, indicating that they tend to inspire unease, distrust, or fear in others. Type ''F characters are able to intimidate others, using fear rather than persuasion to get others to do what they want. When the player states that the character is using intimidation, all tests are made on Ld and no Fel related skills have any effect. However, the charcter gains a +10 modifier to Ld tests, reflecting their ability to intimidate others. This rule does not apply to dealings with other type F'' characters. In this case, '''Fel' tests are made for dealings between characters in the same career, with Fel-based modifiers as appropriate. Fel-based modifiers are not used between characters in different careers, although Fel tests are still made. High Living And Low Life A character may try to gain some of the benefits of an elevated rank simply by living in an appropriate manner. If a carpenter can afford to live as well as a merchant prince, he may sometimes be taken for one, while a lawyer who lives like a rat-catcher will be looked down upon by his fellows. In any case, almost everyone has certain appearances to keep up... The Skids The Consumer Guide states that 7/- per day is the minimum cost of an acceptable standard of living. Anyone spending less than 7/- per day on food is clearly on the decline and his 'friends' start to desert him - he loses one Standing point per day. When his Standing reaches zero, he drops a class and starts again with D4 Standing points in the new, lower class. Anyone who ends up in class D with zero standing must immediately switch to the career of Beggar, gaining a temporarily negative experience point total if he lacks sufficient experience points for a career change. All subsequent experience points must be spent to 'pay off the debt' before the character can switch to another career (assuming that he has the experience to spend on a second career change). In addition, any character in class A (or pretending to be class A) should spend 7/- per day per Standing point or suffer the consequences outlined above, rather than just 7/- per day. This makes life at the top very, very expensive, but that's the price of having everybody look up to you. The High Life A character who lashes out on a conspicuously lavish, riotous, or simply disgustingly excessive lifestyle may increase their social position by doing so. Riotous living costs a number of Crowns (or equivalent, such as Guilders) per day equal to the character's Standing. A character who spends this much on food and drink for himself in a day gains 1 Standing point for a week thereafter. If his Standing is increased up to 20 by this means, he moves up a class, starting with D4 Standing points in the new class. Note that Standing points gained by high living are temporary and wear off after a week. This means that no character can gain more than 8 Standing points by high living and that the standard of living must be maintained at further expense if the character's Standing is not to sink gradually back to its original level. There's little point in noblemen indulging in this sort of excess, but for those who wish to do so, noble characters must pay through the nose! Excessive living for the high and mighty costs a number of Crowns (or equivalent) per day equal to the square of the character's standing. For example, Baroness Ludmilla (Standing 10) decides that she needs a little more Standing to upstage the other ladies of the Middenheim court. She spends all week on conspicuous - in her case, disgustingly excessive! - living. This costs her 10x10=100 Crowns per day, or 800 Crowns for the week. This gains her one Standing point per day; during the next week, her Standing is temporarily raised to 18. Some people have more money than sense... Category:Rules Category:World Guide